Verizon ups upgrade fee to $30

Verizon is increasing the fee they charge customers who upgrade to a new, subsidized iPhone -- or other mobile device -- as part of a 2-year contract renewal. The new fee will be $30 and takes effect on April 22.

This fee will help us continue to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect which includes Wireless Workshops, online educational tools, and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices that are more sophisticated than ever.

Verizon offers their eco-friendly trade-in program as a way to hedge against the costs.

We've already heard that carriers are starting to push back on the costs of premium devices, like the iPhone, which cut their incredible profits down to only fantastic sizes. They successfully, and unsuccessfully, tried to increase other costs to try and get more money out of consumers for a while now. They'll likely keep trying until they find the paths of least resistance.

Does the new upgrade fee bother you? Will it change your mind about upgrading on Verizon? Jump into our Verizon Forum and let us know!

It is another free money fee from Verizon just like their mystery administration fees that appear hidden in the list of fees. The cost of administrating the accounts is a burden they should carry, if they wanted to be honest about things then all these extra charges should e advertised inside the contract fees and the upgrade fee spread over the term of the contract. Then what they claim as contract cost is a true cost and not the cost plus extra fees to bulk up their coffers on the sly over and above the cost of the device and the contract fee.

Am I the only one not that upset about this? I can still have my unlimited data, with no throttling at ~15GB, the ability to tether if I want to without interfering with my unlimited data. I still get about 420 subsidized on a new iPhone. With exceptionally better device than AT&T, I am happy with big red and glad I jumped ship from AT&T so long ago.

Why should it change if it's always been waived? I've been with Verizon for over 9 years now and I've upgraded 4 times and have changed phone more times than i can count. I've never paid an upgrade fee or an activation fee. It always gets waived. I don't know anyone that has paid these fees. I think they are just there to make the service rep look good when they say they will waive the fees.

Gotcha hooked, now they up the ante.
We have had cell phones for ages now, no "activation" or they call it now an "upgrade fee" previously either until... now.
We have 4 phones on the plan, were looking to add the last son, but you are kidding, $30 to activate each line, unless that is you have data package, then they would consider waiving the fee.
I went to upgrade my phone today that has been barely working for months now, but was patient enough to wait 'til they told me I could upgrade, they gave me a $50 credit because I waited, then another $30 credit because I complaned about the no new every 2, for a basic phone, which seems to me in the early days would have been completetly free. THe gal did not mention the upgrade fee, naturally I went into orbit when it came time to check out, which I have not completed that task.
Got sucked in to the texting charge, one line at a time, but Yes, we are living without the fancy phones and data plan, texting is about as far as we get, not interested in smart phones, or rather the associated cost of owning one. The guys have i-pod touches or lap top computers that do everything a smartphone does (in a wireless zone) without the hint of any fees whatsoever!
Why in the world does verizon think I could, or even want to pay the data fee plus the regular fees for 4 or five phones? That would be almost $300 a month for the phone service, really? If you don't get the premium phones with the Data package, there is no new every two, no wiggling out of the upgrade fee. No visable way out of the contracts either, they are all on different end of contract schedules - so that would be two different phone bills, not in the same network, or pay the early termination fees.
We aren't poor, just too old to think that all that spending all that money on phone service is rediculous. How do the young folk starting out afford it? Just skip eating to afford the phone?
What a rip off!

Un-flipping believable! My contract is up this summer - looks like I'm gonna have to look elsewhere. Maybe this will be turned around like the decision to charge some ridiculous fee for paying your bill online a few months back. Angry people unite, and let them know just how foul this is......

Wave the activation fee, or I wont renew my contract F-them.
They always did that every other time I re-upped when my contract was done and was getting a new phone. Your about to tie me up for 2 years on the phone I am about to pay 200 to 300 for and they have the balls to ask for another $30 on top of all that to activate the phone? NO !!

The fee is ridiculous. Assuming a $199 cost for a new device, that's 15% of the price of a new phone! If people need handholding, they should pay for the handholding. Why are all customers asked pay for that?

You American consumers should consider yourself lucky. Here in Canada, the big 3 cellular networks have been charging that fee for the last 3 years. Added to the flame, we are locked in for 3 effing years. Not to mention to cancel a contract more than 6 months prior to the end of your current contract, it costs $600 to cancel your plan... (This is regardless of phone model or whether you're using a second hand phone...) I'd rather switch to Verizon. Can't wait to move out of this hole.

There is not much you can do when AT&T is doing the same thing. does anyone smell colushion ? you can threaten to swith companies or bitch. Which sometimes works and sometimes does not, depending on how desperate a sales agent is for a sale.